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Sunday, March 06, 2011
Muir Boda Weekly Campaign Message
Weekly Campaign, Government and Real Estate
I wanted to take a moment and share my positions on a couple of issues that have been before the City Council recently. These have been on my website, http://www.boda4salisbury.com/ under the section “How Would I Vote” and I wanted people to be clear on where I stand on some of these issues.
Since both of these issues deal with acquiring and selling properties, it goes with my general philosophy that governments typically should not be actively involved in the Real Estate market and when it is, the approach should be with extreme caution. I certainly understand that we need to have Fire Departments, Police Departments, Public Works and basic office space for the general operations of our government. Governments should not be in the business of property management or for a better term a landlord, because the results are usually disastrous, such as all of the empty, boarded up homes owned by the Wicomico County Housing Authority in this city, that is another topic for another day.
So here are two recent situations that were very controversial and my position on them.
Linens of the Week
I oppose the City of Salisbury acquiring this property for several reasons.
First, the unknown costs that are potentially associated with the cleanup is not a risk worth taking. The hopes that grants will be available to help offset the cleanup costs, is not a guarantee as the $14 Trillion National Debt should be a big warning sign.
Second, he who makes the mess should be the one to pay for the cleanup. Sticking the taxpayer with the bill and responsibility is unfair.
Third, is the issue of disposition after the property has been cleaned up. The government just handing it over for free, no matter who the organization is, is not the right thing to do. I do believe Habitat for Humanity is a great organization and if they want the property they should acquire it on their own, not as pass through from the government after taxpayers have cleaned it up.
Don’t get me wrong, I think charity is a great thing, I just don’t believe government should be in the business of forcing taxpayers to donate properties to non-profits and churches, especially after taxpayer funds have been used to fix a property up.
Bottom line: government should have no role in this property other than ensuring the environmental cleanup is done, the property is safe and that the transaction between private parties is free of fraud.
The Old Firehouse
Despite the controversy surrounding this issue I would have voted for the sale.
I believe Palmer Gillis’ intentions are honorable and that he did not attempt to deceive anyone. There are strict requirements in this deal and everyone must understand that an educational component is required. Failure to adhere to the requirements will result in the building being forfeited back to the city.
The other aspect of this issue is that renovation costs could be between $500,000 to $1,000,000. There are very few who have the resources available to pull that off and Palmer is one of those few. He has a proven track record here in Salisbury and I hope we can all give him a chance to accomplish something that we all will benefit from.
Muir Boda
Candidate for Salisbury City Council
Lost 80 Year Old Delmar Man Found
The elderly gentleman who wandered off yesterday was just found. More to come.
UPDATE: It turns out he was found deep in the woods behind his home over the past 24 hours. He had wandered off following a trail in the woods. They had K-9 Dogs, helicopters, mantrackers, police officers, volunteer firefighters and civilian volunteers searching for him and from what we were just told a CIVILIAN volunteer was the one who found him. Thanks to ALL who participated.
UPDATE: It turns out he was found deep in the woods behind his home over the past 24 hours. He had wandered off following a trail in the woods. They had K-9 Dogs, helicopters, mantrackers, police officers, volunteer firefighters and civilian volunteers searching for him and from what we were just told a CIVILIAN volunteer was the one who found him. Thanks to ALL who participated.
Weekly Field Notes By Delegate Mike McDermott
Field Notes
Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities
By Delegate Mike McDermott
February 28st-March 4th, 2011
· Monday afternoon a joint hearing of the Judiciary and HGO (Health and Government Operations) Committees on the Medical Marijuana bill. As proposed, the bill would allow for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in Maryland and would establish a permitting and growing process by the government. It would also establish strict rules governing the prescription process by the medical community. The hearing was beneficial and many questions were asked, but some of the issues remain very complex. There is great concern that Maryland would become like California and also about how the permitting process would actually function for growing marijuana for medical purposes. At the hearing, I presented by amendment to the bill which would provide that use of marijuana for medical purposes could only be done through vaporization, ingestion, pill form, injection, or by any doctor approved medical device. This would restrict marijuana from being smoked and would insure that it is utilized through best medical practices. The bill has a long way to go, but it is on the way.
· Tuesday morning during session, it was announced that the Judiciary Committee would meet immediately after the close of business for a vote on SB-116, the Gay Marriage Bill. Well, we all showed up…except for two missing democrats…and we waited to vote. It became clear after about 15-minutes that the missing delegates had gotten the Wisconsin flu and had flown the coop. Of course, we demanded to vote on the bill but were told by the Chairman that he wanted to wait until the other two delegates could be present. Clearly, he knew he did not have th votes he needed to pass the bill out of committee. We waited an hour to vote that day, but it never happened.
· On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee conducted hearings on the following bills:
1. HB-408: This bill seeks to address a gap in identity fraud where criminals use false names to create fictitious identities. This has become a new form of identity theft being utilized to defraud businesses of millions.
2. HB-484: This bill seeks to correct an omission from compliance with the Federal mandates of Jessica’s Law by creating a Sex Offender Registry for Juvenile Offenders. This is required for Maryland to come into compliance and not place federal funds received from the Department of Justice at risk. It is not required that the Juvenile Registry be available to the public, but it would be accessible by the Criminal Justice system and the registrants would be required to comply with registration monitoring the same as adult offenders. There was a lot of discussion on this issue and some on the committee struggle with treating juveniles in the same way we deal with adults. There may be a compromise that will work for all members, but we will have to see how this one works out.
3. HB-507: This bill seeks to require law enforcement agencies to report on any deployment or use of an Electronic Control Device, commonly called a tazor or stun gun. This legislation is part of an attempt by some to thwart the use of these devices in Maryland by placing burdensome restrictions on their availability and use by law enforcement and civilians. This bill would treat these weapons differently than any other weapon utilized by law enforcement, and I do not see it coming out of the committee with a favorable ruling.
4. HB-568: This bill seeks to ban the use of any proceeds from drug trafficking from being utilized by a defendant to secure legal representation. The law already prohibits the use of ill gotten gain from being used to compensate to knowingly be received by an attorney for compensation, but it currently exempts money from drug sales. Go figure! This law would make it a crime to do so and was met with opposition by some on the committee who took exception to the notion that this practice was ongoing in Maryland. As the committee is composed of be many trial lawyers, I doubt this one finds its way to the House floor for a vote.
5. HB-588: This bill seeks to ban the use of portable scanning devices by criminals who use them to gather credit card information when they are simply in close proximity to a potential victim. We saw a display of how criminals use these devices to simply retrieve credit card information by simply standing near an unknowing victim. This is a relatively new method and it was hoped by the sponsors that the committee would allow law enforcement to be proactive with this law. The committee appeared to like the law, but the Chairman was skeptical at this point.
6. HB-594: This is my bill which would require a certain category of Top Tier Sex Offenders to be monitored by GPS technology by law enforcement. The hearing went well, and the only hold up is in the cost of implementation. I am working with Parole and Probation to see if something can be worked out within the current law to accommodate the provisions of this bill. The only opposition was from, of course, two registered sex offenders. Of course, they painted themselves as “victims” and did not feel this approach was needed.
7. HB-663: This is a simple bill which would make it a crime to commit a crime of violence in the presence of a minor. This would be an add on charge, but it would address the egregious way some of our children are traumatized by adults.
8. HB-682: This bill seeks to require bail bonding companies to pay the full bonds of defendants that fail to appear for trial on a sooner rather than later time table. Many of the bondsmen came to testify about how this type of legislation would injure their business and attempted to show how they currently comply and the system, in their opinion, is not broken. After listening to testimony, it is clear that this is a very competitive business where bondsmen are undercutting each other on a regular basis to garner customers. There was concern expressed for companies which only require a person to pay 1% of the bond as a fee.
9. HB-781: This bill would extend the prohibitions on the drug Salvia so it could not be sold or marketed in Maryland for adults. It is already illegal for juveniles. It would not make possession a crime, but it would eliminate distribution within the state. As Salvia is not on the federal DEA list, I am not sure if this one will be leaving the committee with a favorable ruling.
10. HB-845: This bill seeks the banning of the drug Mephedrone. This is another synthetic drug being utilized form frequently in the state, but it has not been placed on the federal DEA list. The committee tries to work with the federal banning list as this allows for a seamless application of the law. The federal government also conducts intense studies and testing to determine if a substance should be on the controlled substance list. I believe there will be a “wait and see” approach on Medthedrone.
· On Wednesday, we had been working behind the scenes in reaching out to any democrats on the committee who may be having a change of heart about the Gay Marriage Bill. We talked about Civil Marriage amendment issues and the like with the focus on preserving the definition of marriage as it is today. We seemed to gain some ground and it looked like we had two votes coming over, but the pressure was being well placed from the Democratic side of the aisle. I saw the Speaker of the House come into our Committee Room on more than one occasion that day, and he was not happy. There were numerous visits by the highest ranking members of the House as they caucused with the hold out democrats who desired to “vote their conscience” on the matter. Sadly for them, their “conscience” had little to do with the desire of the leadership…it was just getting in the way. There would be no vote today either.
I have to give a tip of the hat to Delegate Mike Smigiel and Delegate Don Dwyer. They both led the opposition effort in the Judiciary Committee and it was their actions that helped delay the vote and kept the liberals off their game.
· On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing on the following bills:
1. HB-574: This bill would provide for punitive damages against a certain category of “high risk drunk drivers”. Those favoring the bill believe it would allow for monetary punishment of these drivers on a civil basis beyond the damages caused. While this seemed like a good idea, it was quite clear following testimony that this would undoubtedly result in higher insurance premiums for all Marylanders were it enacted.
2. HB-729: This bill seeks to preserve the rights of Marylanders who may sign onto a Class Action Agreement without full knowledge of their actions. It would tend to make these types of agreements unenforceable in many instances.
3. HB-765: This bill seeks to require the State of Maryland to claim the surplus funds established and held by the Attorney Grievance Commission and use them for general government purposes when those funds exceed a certain level. The account is currently at over 10 million dollars, but is apparently being addressed by the commission.
4. HB-797: This bill would require proper investigations be conducted on judges and other officers of the court when a complaint is filed and found to have merit. Following testimony, it was clear that there is general reluctance for these type of cases to move forward as a general rule. We heard some egregious testimony of alleged improprieties by more than one victim concerning officers of the court.
5. HB-921: This would require insurance carriers to divulge the amount of coverage liability a plaintiff in a court case may have during prelitigation hearings. There was disagreement on the impact of this type of disclosure as to whether it would help or hurt the process.
6. HB-1120: This bill would allow for civil claims to be filed against those who sell or furnish alcohol to individuals who wind up damaging property or injuring another party as a result of their intoxication. It seems the bill would take away from individual responsibility and place more on restaurant and bar owners who may be unwitting victims themselves of a previously intoxicated patron. This is a bill which would drive up the cost of doing business in Maryland through the need for greater insurance premiums.
7. HB-1126: This bill seeks to make provisions for jurors in Baltimore City to receive some type of parking compensation. I guess the delegate thinks the rest of Marylanders should pay for Baltimore City jurors to park their cars. Well, why not? Don’t we pay for everything else over there? There is also a companion bill to this one, HB-1136 which seeks to increase the amount of money paid by Baltimore City for those performing their civic duty. It would further require all employers to provide paid leave time for those serving on jury duty in Baltimore City. My thought is, if Baltimore City wants these things, let them pay the bill. The state is broke.
8. HB-1129: This bill would define Contributory Negligence in Maryland. There is great concern by the business community and those practicing law in Maryland that certain recent inquiries and actions taken by Chief Judge Bell of the State District Court seem to indicate his desire to see the age old definition altered. There were many arguing and pleading for the General Assembly to take action rather than wait for the Judicial Branch of the government to legislate from the bench. I am not sure if we will get a chance to vote this one out, but I sure hope we do.
· On Thursday, when we showed up for our committee session, again several delegates were missing in action. It became abundantly clear that these freshmen democrats were holding firm, but one of them was beginning to cave to pressure. It became clear, as the day wore on, that we would not be voting on SB-116 today either.
· On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee held the following hearings:
1. HB-162: This bill would create a criminal penalty for Child Neglect whereas, till now, this has only been applied civilly by the Department of Social Services as a means of action. This bill was presented by Lt. Governor Brown and his task force. It was generally well received, but was too broad and left a lot of things to be worked out before it could be passed. As a result, a subcommittee was created by the Chairman to study the bill and recommend changes to the full committee. I was honored to be selected as a member of the subcommittee and we will meet next week to address the issues in the bill with the Lt. Governor.
2. HB -407: This bill seeks to create a specific charge of cruelty to animals during an incident of domestic violence. While this may be a problem area, it was thought that there was ample law in place to address this issue.
3. HB-510: This bill seeks to enhance the penalties ascribed to the charges involving stalking and other forms of harassment. We heard from two victims who provided compelling testimony on the need to get tough. I will be offering an amendment to this bill which would provide that District Court Commissioners could not release a person on bond who is charged with violating the provisions of a Peace or Ex-Parte Order.
4. HB-582: This bill seeks to broaden the definition of harassment to include electronic communications and applications. This would include social media sites, emails, text messages and the like. This bill was well received.
5. HB-667: This bill would provide that a Final Peace Order could be up to one year as opposed to the current limit of 6-months.
6. HB-819: This bill would include “strangulation and suffocation” under the current criminal definition of a “serious physical injury”. We received testimony which indicated that this type of injury often is underreported and not obvious to investigators, although it can be a very serious medical issue for the victim.
7. HB-859: This bill would broaden the use of out of court statements made by a victim of child abuse. It would allow caseworkers and counselors to testify as to hearsay evidence of a victim. During discussion, it was agreed that the language of the bill needed to be tightened up and amended before it would pass out of committee.
8. HB-872: This bill would require GPS tracking of Respondents under the decree of a Final Protection Order. This bill met with stiff opposition as the government would be tracking individuals who are not charged with a criminal act. I do not believe this one is coming out of committee. It was interesting to me that the ACLU showed up to protest the GPS tracking of Sex Offenders, but were a no show in this instance.
9. HB-968: This bill has been named, “Justice’s Law” by the sponsor in honor of the child who was murdered and charged under the Child Abuse statutes. Under the law, the defendant could only receive a maximum sentence of 30-years. This bill seeks to provide the judge the ability to sentence a defendant up to Life in prison if convicted. This bill makes a lot of sense and certainly would find application in the courts when it comes to sentencing bad guys.
10. HB-1018: This bill seeks to provide an applicable distance in a Protective Order issued by a court whereby a Respondent could not come within a designated distance of the Petitioner. After hearing testimony, this seemed to be more of a problem with court interpretation of the current law rather than a loop hole being exploited.
11. HB-1019: This bill seeks to create and define “reasonable corporal punishment” in Maryland. It was interesting to me as this bill was being proffered by advocates who believe this type of parental punishment should be banned in Maryland. Parents need to keep their radar up on bills such as these that seek to take away or limit their ability to correct their children in the way they deem appropriate. Abuse should never be tolerated, but these folks would eliminate spanking altogether if you gave them the chance.
· On Friday morning, the Eastern Shore Delegation met with several folks from the shore including representatives from the Salisbury Zoo. They provided us with information packets on updates and the pending expansion of their facilities as well as their ongoing capital campaign. They are seeking a bond grant of $200,000.00 (state debt) for an Animal Health Clinic and a new Visitor/Environmental Center. Zoo Director Joel Hamilton did a nice job presenting their progress and expressing their need for support. Del. Conway and Del. Cane have already forwarded a bond bill to address the request for funding.
Also making a presentation were folks from the Teackle Mansion in Somerset County. They are also engaged in a major renovation project and are attempting to secure some funding from the state through a bond bill. They recently completed work involving the replacement of their HVAC system and are now working on the interior restoration.
The more lively discussion we had at the meeting came from the various representatives from several Local Management Boards across the shore. We heard specifically from Caroline County’s board as well as Dorchester County. These boards assist local government in distributing funds for various programs providing services to children in our communities. Over the past two years, the administrative funding for these programs has been greatly reduced by the state and they have struggled to maintain personnel so as to adequately manage their programs. The boards were complaining that they have funding which they should be able to access to help cover these administrative costs while times are bad in the economy and their funding sources are so depleted. Rosemary King, the Executive Director with the Governor’s Office for Children was also in attendance and spoke to the delegation about the expressed concerns. She clearly sent a message that the available funds must be used for programs and not address administrative costs. She felt strongly that they had gone the extra mile in the past two fiscal years to allow the various boards to adjust their spending and personnel needs to meet the new normal and she was disinclined to make any further provisions for future requests. The exchange was back and forth with ideas being offered and it appears we will continue to negotiate with her office on ways to assist the LMB’s as they continue to provide these much needed services to our folks back home.
· Friday, the drama surrounding the committee vote on Gay Marriage came to a head. The bottom line is, the democratic leadership was able to stiff arm the votes they needed in the committee to get it to the floor, so they quickly scheduled the vote Friday afternoon. There was a spirited debate from both sides, but I believe the compelling arguments were with those in opposition to the passage of SB-116. There were so many television cameras in the committee room, you could see little else. Clearly we were a divided committee. The Republicans on the committee were joined by three (3) Democrats in opposition, while those in favor were all Democrats. The final vote was cast by the Chairman to pass the bill on to the House floor.
I watched and participated all week long as our committee members worked to sway votes. I can tell you that if those votes were cast by secret ballot, there would have been several more “no” votes cast on Friday and it would have been defeated. On the floor when the entire House votes next week, I believe one or more of our committee members who voted for the bill will vote against it for Third Reader. I also do not believe the supporters of SB-116 have the needed votes for passage at the present time. The floor debate will, no doubt, be long and arduous. In the end, it would have always been better to let the voters decide at the polls in 2012; and, if the vote is favorable in the House, I’m quite sure the bill will be petitioned to referendum in Maryland.
I have to say after this week, the meetings were long and exhausting and the Eastern Shore never looked so good as when I crossed that bridge late Friday afternoon.
Police: Serial Rape Suspect Tried To Hang Self
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The man suspected of terrorizing women with sexual assaults from Virginia to Rhode Island over 12 years tried to hang himself in his cell Saturday, but survived and was treated at a hospital, police said.
Police said Saturday that DNA confirmed that the unemployed truck driver is the East Coast Rapist, suspected in attacks on at least 17 women.
More
Md. DREAM Act Would Cost Millions
The Maryland Senate is moving forward with a bill that would grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, at a cost to taxpayers of about $3.5 million by fiscal 2016, according to an independent fiscal analysis.
Proponents of the bill say it provides educational access to undocumented students who excel in high school but can't afford college. Federal law covers undocumented students' education through grade 12.
Opponents argue that the bill is a waste of taxpayer money and provides sanctuary to people who are in the country illegally.
Lawmakers will take up the proposal in the Senate this week. If the bill makes it to Gov. Martin O'Malley's desk this year, Maryland would be the 11th state in the nation to provide lower tuition rates to undocumented students. A similar measure known as the DREAM Act failed at the federal level in December.
The Montgomery County Council is taking action this week on a resolution that would support the bill.
"Despite lacking legal status, many immigrant youth are working hard to achieve success in this country," the resolution reads.
Republican Del. Pat McDonough, who represents parts of Baltimore and Harford counties, is already threatening a legal fight once the bill passes, which he said is inevitable.
"The primary argument against it is that it's a financial issue," he told The Washington Examiner. "We firmly believe it is unconstitutional. ... This is going to go to court."
The costs to Maryland of about $3.5 million by fiscal 2016 were calculated by the state's independent Department of Legislative Services.
The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition rates at Maryland's four-year universities averages more than $10,000 for a single semester. Community college tuition is two to three times less expensive for in-state students in Maryland. Roughly 300,000 illegal immigrants live in the state, according to legislative analysts.
"What this bill creates, in effect, is a new financial burden on the counties," said Senate Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin, a Republican from the Eastern Shore. "I think some counties are going to view this as an unfunded mandate sent to them by the state."
But the bill has enormous support among many of Maryland's Democrats, despite the costs.
Read more
Proponents of the bill say it provides educational access to undocumented students who excel in high school but can't afford college. Federal law covers undocumented students' education through grade 12.
Opponents argue that the bill is a waste of taxpayer money and provides sanctuary to people who are in the country illegally.
Lawmakers will take up the proposal in the Senate this week. If the bill makes it to Gov. Martin O'Malley's desk this year, Maryland would be the 11th state in the nation to provide lower tuition rates to undocumented students. A similar measure known as the DREAM Act failed at the federal level in December.
The Montgomery County Council is taking action this week on a resolution that would support the bill.
"Despite lacking legal status, many immigrant youth are working hard to achieve success in this country," the resolution reads.
Republican Del. Pat McDonough, who represents parts of Baltimore and Harford counties, is already threatening a legal fight once the bill passes, which he said is inevitable.
"The primary argument against it is that it's a financial issue," he told The Washington Examiner. "We firmly believe it is unconstitutional. ... This is going to go to court."
The costs to Maryland of about $3.5 million by fiscal 2016 were calculated by the state's independent Department of Legislative Services.
The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition rates at Maryland's four-year universities averages more than $10,000 for a single semester. Community college tuition is two to three times less expensive for in-state students in Maryland. Roughly 300,000 illegal immigrants live in the state, according to legislative analysts.
"What this bill creates, in effect, is a new financial burden on the counties," said Senate Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin, a Republican from the Eastern Shore. "I think some counties are going to view this as an unfunded mandate sent to them by the state."
But the bill has enormous support among many of Maryland's Democrats, despite the costs.
Read more
Iran To Build Permanent Naval Base In Syria
Just two days after two Iranian warships reached the Syrian port of Latakia via the Suez Canal, an Iranian-Syrian naval cooperation accord was signed Friday, Feb. 25 providing for Iran to build its first Mediterranean naval base at the Syrian port, debkafile's sources reveal.
It will include a large Iranian Revolutionary Guards weapons depot, anchorage for large warships and submarines and logistical infrastructure for incoming Iranian troops.
The Syrian Navy chief said the move would "cripple Israel."
Iran has much to celebrate, debkafile's military sources report. It has acquired its first military foothold on a Mediterranean shore and its first permanent military presence on Syrian soil. Tehran will be setting in place the logistical infrastructure for accommodating incoming Iranian troops to fight in a potential Middle East war.
According to our sources, the "cadets" the Kharg cruiser, one of the two Iranian warships allowed to transit the Suez Canal, was said to be carrying were in fact the first construction crews for building the new port facilities.
Two more events were carefully synchronized to take place in the same week.
On Feb. 24, as the Iranian warships headed from the Suez Canal to Syria, Hamas fired long-range made-in-Iran Grade missiles from the Gaza Strip into Israel, one hitting the main Negev city of Beersheba for the first time since Israel's Gaza campaign two years ago - as debkafile reported on that day. Tehran was using its Palestinian surrogate to flaunt its success in getting its first warships through the Suez Canal in the face of Israeli protests. The Iranians were also parading their offensive agenda in deploying warships on the Mediterranean just 287 kilometers north of Israel's northernmost coastal town of Nahariya.
The second occurrence was a contract announced by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov for the sale of advanced Russian shore-to-sea cruise missiles to Syria. The Yakhont missile system has a range of 300 kilometers and skims the waves low enough to be undetected by radar. debkafile's military sources take this sale as representing Moscow's nod in favor of the new Iranian base at Latakia, 72 kilometers from the permanent naval base Russia is building at the Syrian port of Tartous.
More here
It will include a large Iranian Revolutionary Guards weapons depot, anchorage for large warships and submarines and logistical infrastructure for incoming Iranian troops.
The Syrian Navy chief said the move would "cripple Israel."
Iran has much to celebrate, debkafile's military sources report. It has acquired its first military foothold on a Mediterranean shore and its first permanent military presence on Syrian soil. Tehran will be setting in place the logistical infrastructure for accommodating incoming Iranian troops to fight in a potential Middle East war.
According to our sources, the "cadets" the Kharg cruiser, one of the two Iranian warships allowed to transit the Suez Canal, was said to be carrying were in fact the first construction crews for building the new port facilities.
Two more events were carefully synchronized to take place in the same week.
On Feb. 24, as the Iranian warships headed from the Suez Canal to Syria, Hamas fired long-range made-in-Iran Grade missiles from the Gaza Strip into Israel, one hitting the main Negev city of Beersheba for the first time since Israel's Gaza campaign two years ago - as debkafile reported on that day. Tehran was using its Palestinian surrogate to flaunt its success in getting its first warships through the Suez Canal in the face of Israeli protests. The Iranians were also parading their offensive agenda in deploying warships on the Mediterranean just 287 kilometers north of Israel's northernmost coastal town of Nahariya.
The second occurrence was a contract announced by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov for the sale of advanced Russian shore-to-sea cruise missiles to Syria. The Yakhont missile system has a range of 300 kilometers and skims the waves low enough to be undetected by radar. debkafile's military sources take this sale as representing Moscow's nod in favor of the new Iranian base at Latakia, 72 kilometers from the permanent naval base Russia is building at the Syrian port of Tartous.
More here
Gates On Urgent Mission To Cairo As Military Rulers Lose Grip
On Saturday, March 5, Barack Obama asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to set out for Cairo without delay on an emergency mission as the unrest in Egypt veered out of control, debkafile's exclusive sources report from Washington.
Friday night, thousands of protesters seized control of the headquarters Egyptian security police (Mahabis Namn El Dawla) in Alexandria, Cairo and the nearby town, shutting down its operations across the country.
In the last hours, information reaching Washington indicated that control was slipping out of the hands of the Egyptian military junta ruling the country since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow; anti-American elements energized by Iran appeared to have strengthened their hold on the protest movement, causing deep concern in the White House.
The capture of the three Mahabis centers opened to disaffected elements the secret files on every political and military leader in the country, confidential information once accessible only to ex-intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman before the uprising.
While the Obama administration has a better inside picture of Egypt's opposition groups than it has about Libya, intelligence is still inadequate about the shape of the local leadership of those groups and to whom they defer.
Last Wednesday, March 2, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Iran of stirring the pot when she addressed the House Appropriations Committee: "They (the Iranians) are using Hizballah… to communicate with counterparts… in (the Palestinian movement) Hamas who then in turn communicate with counterparts in Egypt," she said.
Debkafile's sources report that large sums of Iranian petrodollars have reached the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and radicalized its message to the Egyptian people.
More here
Friday night, thousands of protesters seized control of the headquarters Egyptian security police (Mahabis Namn El Dawla) in Alexandria, Cairo and the nearby town, shutting down its operations across the country.
In the last hours, information reaching Washington indicated that control was slipping out of the hands of the Egyptian military junta ruling the country since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow; anti-American elements energized by Iran appeared to have strengthened their hold on the protest movement, causing deep concern in the White House.
The capture of the three Mahabis centers opened to disaffected elements the secret files on every political and military leader in the country, confidential information once accessible only to ex-intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman before the uprising.
While the Obama administration has a better inside picture of Egypt's opposition groups than it has about Libya, intelligence is still inadequate about the shape of the local leadership of those groups and to whom they defer.
Last Wednesday, March 2, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Iran of stirring the pot when she addressed the House Appropriations Committee: "They (the Iranians) are using Hizballah… to communicate with counterparts… in (the Palestinian movement) Hamas who then in turn communicate with counterparts in Egypt," she said.
Debkafile's sources report that large sums of Iranian petrodollars have reached the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and radicalized its message to the Egyptian people.
More here
Was The Economic Crisis Manufactured?
In the summer of 2008 as McCain and Obama were in the midst of their campaigns to capture the presidency, a series of events dramatically changed the focus of the campaign from Iraq to the economy. From that point on, Obama took the lead and eventually won the presidency.
Now, a full two years later, the Pentagon has issued a report on the series of events that led to the 2008 economic crash. Bill Gertz writes in the Washington Times:
Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed to the 2008 economic crash by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system
"There is sufficient justification to question whether outside forces triggered, capitalized upon or magnified the economic difficulties of 2008," the report says.
Notable for its absence is any suggestion that the economic events that arguably catapulted Obama into the White House may have originated in our own political system.
Consider: The economic house of cards started tumbling on June 26, 2008, when Senator Chuck Schumer leaked a memo questioning the solvency of IndyMac bank. This memo precipitated a run on IndyMac which led to its failure. Federal regulators pointedly cited U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., in explaining the bank's failure. "The immediate cause of the closing was a deposit run that began and continued after the public release of a June 26 letter to the OTS and the FDIC from Senator Charles Schumer of New York."
As I wrote in February of 2009, this event, coupled with the Lehman Brothers collapse in September, marked the beginning of the current economic meltdown and provided the environment that enabled Barack Obama to focus on the economy instead of his position on Iraq - and, not incidentally, resulted in his election as President.
For the last two years, the media has neglected to connect the dots regarding the strange gyrations in our financial markets that started in the summer of 2008. After Schumer caused the run on IndyMac in June, the government moved in:
Keep reading...
Now, a full two years later, the Pentagon has issued a report on the series of events that led to the 2008 economic crash. Bill Gertz writes in the Washington Times:
Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed to the 2008 economic crash by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system
"There is sufficient justification to question whether outside forces triggered, capitalized upon or magnified the economic difficulties of 2008," the report says.
Notable for its absence is any suggestion that the economic events that arguably catapulted Obama into the White House may have originated in our own political system.
Consider: The economic house of cards started tumbling on June 26, 2008, when Senator Chuck Schumer leaked a memo questioning the solvency of IndyMac bank. This memo precipitated a run on IndyMac which led to its failure. Federal regulators pointedly cited U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., in explaining the bank's failure. "The immediate cause of the closing was a deposit run that began and continued after the public release of a June 26 letter to the OTS and the FDIC from Senator Charles Schumer of New York."
As I wrote in February of 2009, this event, coupled with the Lehman Brothers collapse in September, marked the beginning of the current economic meltdown and provided the environment that enabled Barack Obama to focus on the economy instead of his position on Iraq - and, not incidentally, resulted in his election as President.
For the last two years, the media has neglected to connect the dots regarding the strange gyrations in our financial markets that started in the summer of 2008. After Schumer caused the run on IndyMac in June, the government moved in:
Keep reading...
Black Leaders Rip Obama Claim Of Tea Party Racism
Members of the Project 21 black leadership network strongly disagree with President Barack Obama's contention, as reported in the new book "Family of Freedom: Presidents and African-Americans in the White House," that the tea parties are motivated more by the color of Obama's skin than the content of his agenda.
"As a keynote speaker at numerous tea party events around the country which has allowed me to meet tea party activists from all walks of life, I know it is Obama's progressive politics and not his race that motivates these patriotic Americans to protest our nation's slide toward socialism," said full-time Project 21 Fellow Deneen Borelli. "By engaging in race-card politics, Obama shows he is willing to follow the lead of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to ignite racial tension as a means of maintaining power and furthering his agenda."
In "Family of Freedom," by Kenneth T. Walsh, it is written that Obama, responding to a private dinner guest in May 2010, agreed there is a "subterranean agenda" in the opposition to his presidency that is rooted in race.
Project 21's Borelli added: "By stooping to this level, Obama is discrediting his position as our nation's leader."
More here
"As a keynote speaker at numerous tea party events around the country which has allowed me to meet tea party activists from all walks of life, I know it is Obama's progressive politics and not his race that motivates these patriotic Americans to protest our nation's slide toward socialism," said full-time Project 21 Fellow Deneen Borelli. "By engaging in race-card politics, Obama shows he is willing to follow the lead of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to ignite racial tension as a means of maintaining power and furthering his agenda."
In "Family of Freedom," by Kenneth T. Walsh, it is written that Obama, responding to a private dinner guest in May 2010, agreed there is a "subterranean agenda" in the opposition to his presidency that is rooted in race.
Project 21's Borelli added: "By stooping to this level, Obama is discrediting his position as our nation's leader."
More here
Bachmann: Obama, Reid And Pelosi 'Deceitfully' Hid $105 Billion In Obamacare
Rep. Michele Bachmann tells Newsmax that President Barack Obama, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi should apologize to the American people for the $105 billion appropriation they “deceitfully” hid in the healthcare reform legislation.
The Minnesota Republican declares that the “stunning revelation” of the expenditure points to “one of the biggest lies we have ever seen.”
Bachmann, founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, also asserts that Obama wants $8-a-gallon gasoline to drive America toward green energy, says Republicans should hire their own lawyer to represent the Defense of Marriage Act in court, and warns that a second Obama term would be “even worse” than a second Jimmy Carter term would have been.
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, Bachmann expressed her anger over the $105 billion appropriation that has only now come to light in an updated Congressional Research Service report on the Obamacare legislation.
“What we need to do is defund Obamacare,” she says. “The House has the power of the purse.
“But we’ve just found out startling information, and I am calling on President Obama, Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to apologize to the American people and explain why in the bill known as Obamacare they put in over $105 billion in appropriations.
“The funny thing is, they forgot to tell the members of the Senate that there was $105 billion in spending in that bill. They forgot to tell members of the House.
“Since when do we pass a transformative piece of legislation like the government takeover of healthcare and just happen to drop in $105 billion in appropriations, the purpose of which will be to implement this massive new bill? No one knew. We have just found out in the last week or so.
“This is a stunning revelation. It’s shocking. We’ve been fighting to cut $100 billion out of the budget and then we find out that the Democrats led by President Obama have already spent $105 billion and didn’t bother to tell Congress.
More
The Minnesota Republican declares that the “stunning revelation” of the expenditure points to “one of the biggest lies we have ever seen.”
Bachmann, founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, also asserts that Obama wants $8-a-gallon gasoline to drive America toward green energy, says Republicans should hire their own lawyer to represent the Defense of Marriage Act in court, and warns that a second Obama term would be “even worse” than a second Jimmy Carter term would have been.
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, Bachmann expressed her anger over the $105 billion appropriation that has only now come to light in an updated Congressional Research Service report on the Obamacare legislation.
“What we need to do is defund Obamacare,” she says. “The House has the power of the purse.
“But we’ve just found out startling information, and I am calling on President Obama, Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to apologize to the American people and explain why in the bill known as Obamacare they put in over $105 billion in appropriations.
“The funny thing is, they forgot to tell the members of the Senate that there was $105 billion in spending in that bill. They forgot to tell members of the House.
“Since when do we pass a transformative piece of legislation like the government takeover of healthcare and just happen to drop in $105 billion in appropriations, the purpose of which will be to implement this massive new bill? No one knew. We have just found out in the last week or so.
“This is a stunning revelation. It’s shocking. We’ve been fighting to cut $100 billion out of the budget and then we find out that the Democrats led by President Obama have already spent $105 billion and didn’t bother to tell Congress.
More
U.S. Teachers Tells U.N. Sex Is A 'Spectrum'
Advocate mandatory classes to free students from 'religion'
An advocate for explicit sex education who is attached to the National Education Association has told a hearing at the United Nations that mandatory classes need to teach orgasm, oral sex and masturbation to students in order to free them from the "binary" definition provided by "religion."The comments by Diane Schneider were reported by Lauren Funk of the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute.
They came at a recent meeting of the U.N.'s Commission on the Status of Women, where Schneider said "oral sex, masturbation, and orgasms need to be taught in education."
And mandatory comprehensive sex education is "the only way to combat heterosexism and gender conformity," she told the panel meeting to discuss how to combat homophobia and transphobia.
"We must make these issues a part of every middle and high school student's agenda," C-FAM reported her saying, because those who oppose the promotion of homosexuality are "stuck in a binary box that religion and family create."
At Atlas Shrugs there was a call for action in response to the advocacy for explicit sex education.
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SUSSEX COUNTY PARAMEDICS CAPTURE GOLD MEDAL AT 2011 JEMS GAMES
[Baltimore, Md.] – Sussex County paramedics are the new gold standard in pre-hospital emergency medical care, and they have the hardware to back it up.
A Sussex County Emergency Medical Services team on Friday night, March 4, earned a gold medal for the members’ performance in the 2011 Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) Games in Baltimore, Md. The competition among elite groups of first-responders was held March 2 through March 4 during the EMS Today Conference, an annual educational gathering and exposition for pre-hospital care providers.
This year’s competition included 16 teams from EMS agencies across the United States, as well as one international team from Australia. Sussex County’s team included paramedics Jeff Cox, Stuart Hensley, Jill Wix, and Jessielyn Woolbright.
Sussex County’s most recent win is the second gold medal and fifth overall since 2005.
“I am extremely proud of this team because I know how hard they have worked to bring home the gold again to Sussex County,” Sussex County EMS Director Robert Stuart said. “Once again, little Sussex County, Del., has shown that we have some of the best paramedics in the business.”
Sussex County was in third place following the preliminary round earlier in the week, heading into Friday’s finals with only two other teams. The final phase of the competition included a hazardous materials incident.
Paramedics were judged on their ability to effectively perform simulated patient care, which included triage (prioritizing injuries), treatment, and transportation of patients.
Joining Sussex County EMS in earning medals at the JEMS Games were Surry County, N.C., and Miami-Dade County, Fla., which earned silver and bronze, respectively.
This year’s gold medal win adds to Sussex County’s previous successes. Past Sussex County EMS competition teams in the JEMS Games have earned a gold medal in 2005, as well as silver medals in 2006, 2009 and 2010. Sussex County EMS also placed third during the Magen David Adom (MDA) 2008 Olympics, an international
EMS competition held in the Dead Sea region of Israel.
Stuart Hensley, the Sussex County EMS competition team captain, said he and his teammates were proud to be once again bringing home gold to Delaware.
“We feel phenomenal. Every year we do the best we can, and we have captured medals five out of the last seven years,” Paramedic Hensley said. ”It’s just an exceptional feeling to compete against the best in the world and consistently place in the top spots.”
Sussex County Administrator David B. Baker congratulated the team on its continued success and said the win is more than just a victory for the squad. “This is a win for the people of Sussex County, because this demonstrates the high-caliber professionals that we have on staff and the quality service they provide to the citizens of our community each and every day,” Mr. Baker said.
A Sussex County Emergency Medical Services team on Friday night, March 4, earned a gold medal for the members’ performance in the 2011 Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) Games in Baltimore, Md. The competition among elite groups of first-responders was held March 2 through March 4 during the EMS Today Conference, an annual educational gathering and exposition for pre-hospital care providers.
This year’s competition included 16 teams from EMS agencies across the United States, as well as one international team from Australia. Sussex County’s team included paramedics Jeff Cox, Stuart Hensley, Jill Wix, and Jessielyn Woolbright.
Sussex County’s most recent win is the second gold medal and fifth overall since 2005.
“I am extremely proud of this team because I know how hard they have worked to bring home the gold again to Sussex County,” Sussex County EMS Director Robert Stuart said. “Once again, little Sussex County, Del., has shown that we have some of the best paramedics in the business.”
Sussex County was in third place following the preliminary round earlier in the week, heading into Friday’s finals with only two other teams. The final phase of the competition included a hazardous materials incident.
Paramedics were judged on their ability to effectively perform simulated patient care, which included triage (prioritizing injuries), treatment, and transportation of patients.
Joining Sussex County EMS in earning medals at the JEMS Games were Surry County, N.C., and Miami-Dade County, Fla., which earned silver and bronze, respectively.
This year’s gold medal win adds to Sussex County’s previous successes. Past Sussex County EMS competition teams in the JEMS Games have earned a gold medal in 2005, as well as silver medals in 2006, 2009 and 2010. Sussex County EMS also placed third during the Magen David Adom (MDA) 2008 Olympics, an international
EMS competition held in the Dead Sea region of Israel.
Stuart Hensley, the Sussex County EMS competition team captain, said he and his teammates were proud to be once again bringing home gold to Delaware.
“We feel phenomenal. Every year we do the best we can, and we have captured medals five out of the last seven years,” Paramedic Hensley said. ”It’s just an exceptional feeling to compete against the best in the world and consistently place in the top spots.”
Sussex County Administrator David B. Baker congratulated the team on its continued success and said the win is more than just a victory for the squad. “This is a win for the people of Sussex County, because this demonstrates the high-caliber professionals that we have on staff and the quality service they provide to the citizens of our community each and every day,” Mr. Baker said.
A Letter To The Editor
Dear Editor,
Each year in the United States, more than half a million babies are born prematurely, and more than 120,000 babies are born with serious birth defects. The March of Dimes relies on thousands of supporters and companies like Perdue Farms, Inc. to help ensure that all babies are born healthy.
Helping families have healthy babies is what the March of Dimes is all about. As a national organization, the March of Dimes strives to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality through research, community service, education and advocacy all across the United States. You might not know it, but you have been touched by the March of Dimes if:
- You or your baby received a polio vaccine
- You had or know someone whose baby was cared for in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU)
- Your baby was born prematurely and received the advanced care that the organization has researched, funded and supported
- You had a healthy baby due in part to good prenatal care
If you are a parent of one of the 10,000 babies born prematurely in Maryland this year, you and your baby benefited from the work of the March of Dimes. A family whose baby is in the NICU can know that their child will receive specialized care thanks in part to the March of Dimes.
With the support of companies like Perdue Farms, Inc., the March of Dimes is making progress in reducing the rate of premature birth. But there are still too many babies born too soon or sick.
As the 2011 March for Babies Chair, I want to let you know that we need your help. March for Babies — the nation’s premier walking event — is held in 900 communities across the United States and involves more than 7 million people each year. The event is a great way to advance the mission of the March of Dimes and at the same time raise awareness and vital funds.
Please join me and hundreds of other walkers at Salisbury’s March for Babies event held on Sunday, April 17th at The Salisbury Moose Family Center. Go to www.marchforbabies.org
and join us in walking together for stronger, healthier babies.
Sincerely,
Lorenzo Beach
Perdue Farms, Inc.-Facilities Manager
March of Dimes Board Member
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